SHARJAH: The West Indies produced a fine team display to secure a series victory over the United Arab Emirates with a 78-run win in the second One-day International on Tuesday.

Openers Brandon King and Johnson Charles both plundered half-centuries as the tourists made 306 all out batting first.

The bowlers then shared the wickets around as the UAE slipped to 95-5 before eventually finishing on 228-7 in their 50 overs.

The West Indies are preparing for the World Cup qualifying event in Zimbabwe which starts on June 18 and also features the UAE.

The two-time world champions have never failed to reach the global showpiece, but only two of the 10 teams in the qualifier will reach the World Cup in India later this year.

“The game was always about getting wickets and putting pressure on the opposition,” said West Indies captain Shai Hope. “Unfortunately, didn’t get wickets to see the game out earlier. But still happy with the win.”

Charles got the Windies off to a flying start with a 47-ball 63, while King followed up his hundred in Sunday’s first ODI with 64.

After a mini-collapse, all-rounder Odean Smith clobbered 37 off 24 balls to drag the Caribbean side past 300 before they were bowled out with one ball remaining.

Smith also took 1-27 in eight miserly overs, with spinners Kavem Hodge, Roston Chase and Yannic Cariah sharing five wickets between them.

Teenager Ali Naseer again shone for the UAE, hitting 57 from 53 deliveries to back up his fifty on ODI debut at the weekend.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

B. King c Hameed b Shetty 64

J. Charles c (sub) b Naseer 63

S. Brooks b Aayan 20

K. Carty c Shetty b Zahoor 32

R. Chase c Singh b Aayan 7

S. Hope c Waseem b Sharma 23

K. Hodge b Naseer 26

Y. Cariah b Sharma 7

O. Smith b Zahoor 37

D. Drakes b Zahoor 8

A. Jordan not out 3

EXTRAS (LB-10, NB-1, W-5) 16

TOTAL (all out, 49.5 overs) 306

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-129 (Charles), 2-151 (King), 3-163 (Brooks), 4-187 (Chase), 5-206 (Carty), 6-249 (Hodge), 7-249 (Hope), 8-273 (Cariah), 9-293 (Drakes), 10-306 (Smith)

BOWLING: Naseer 10-0-69-2 (1w 1nb); Sharma 8-0-69-2; Aayan 10-0-45-2 (1w); Zahoor 9.5-0-44-3 (3w); Shetty 10-1-56-1; Hameed 2-0-13-0

UAE:

M. Waseem c Hope b Jordan 6

A. Sharma c Jordan b Smith 20

V. Aravind c Brooks b Cariah 36

L. Singh b Hodge 6

A. Khan c Drakes b Chase 4

B. Hameed c Jordan b Chase 49

A. Naseer c Carty b Hodge 57

A. Khan not out 25

Sanchit Sharma not out 4

EXTRAS (LB-7, W-14) 21

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 228

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15 (Waseem), 2-37 (Sharma), 3-52 (Singh), 4-73 (Asif), 5-95 (Vriitya Aravind), 6-175 (Hameed), 7-198 (Naseer)

DID NOT BAT: A. Shetty, Z. Khan

BOWLING: Drakes 6-1-25-0 (4w); Jordan 8-2-36-1 (2w); Smith 8-0-27-1 (2w); Hodge 8-0-46-2 (1w); Chase 10-0-49-2; Cariah 10-0-38-1

RESULT: West Indies won by 78 runs.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Johnson Charles

SERIES: West Indies lead

three-match series 2-0.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2023